TEN football hooligans from York and North Yorkshire are among more than 2,500 banned from going to Euro 2004.

The known troublemakers - eight of whom are from York and are a mix of York City and Leeds United fans - have already been ordered to hand in their passports or face arrest in the week leading up to the tournament kick-off in Portugal on June 12.

Some 60,000 England supporters are expected to travel for the competition, but 2,600 people have so far been banned.

The tough measure - designed to prevent a repeat of violent disorder at recent European tournaments - is being imposed on those currently serving banning orders from football grounds across the country.

Alistair Kennan, North Yorkshire's football intelligence officer, said the ten hooligans would be required to hand in their passports five days before the start of the competition - or face arrest.

He said police could also apply for a court order restricting individuals they believed to be involved in football-related violence from travelling abroad, but there were no immediate plans to do this.

A massive surveillance operation of ports and airports will aim to stop potential troublemakers from leaving the country. Tens of thousands of England fans are expected to stay on the Algarve and commute to England's group games against France in Lisbon on June 13, Switzerland in Coimbra on June 17 and Croatia in Lisbon on June 21.

Kevin Miles, international co-ordinator of the Football Supporters' Federation, said:

"If people log on to www.footballsupportersinternational.com there is a link through which they can book their tickets, in English, online. They will need their passport number and bookings must be made eight working days in advance."

Craig Holt, landlord of the Five Lions pub in Walmgate, is preparing to travel to Portugal for the tournament.

He said: "At the end of the day, if they (hooligans) have done something wrong in a football ground, they are going to have to be banned.

"But I don't really agree with taking passports off people."

Updated: 10:43 Friday, May 28, 2004